nagging
nagging — adjective
1. describes a person who keeps finding fault or complaining about small things, of
describes a person who keeps finding fault or complaining about small things, often in a way that annoys other people
Hugo's nagging wife kept telling him to fix the broken shelf in the kitchen.
I stopped visiting my aunt because her nagging comments about my job upset me.
nagging comments: repeated critical remarks about a person
The nagging customer complained about every dish she ordered at the restaurant.
Meera ignored her roommate's nagging voice and continued reading her book.
Paloma's nagging tone made the children lose their patience with her.
- complaining
more general; can describe a single act or a habit
- critical
focuses on judging things as wrong rather than on repetition
- faultfinding
less common, more formal; emphasises a deliberate search for mistakes
- supportive
giving help or positive encouragement instead of criticism
- encouraging
giving someone hope or confidence rather than pointing out faults
文法句型
nagging + noun (person, voice, tone, comment)
用法筆記
Frequently modifies nouns referring to a person's behaviour or speech — such as wife, mother, voice, or tone. Describes a habitual pattern of criticism, not a one-time complaint.
常見錯誤
2. describes a feeling such as doubt, worry, pain, or guilt that stays present in y
describes a feeling such as doubt, worry, pain, or guilt that stays present in your mind or body and is hard to stop or get rid of
Lucas had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important before the trip.
nagging feeling: persistent sense of doubt or worry
A nagging pain in Apinya's lower back kept her awake throughout the night.
nagging pain: persistent, dull discomfort
The nagging doubt in Sana's mind grew stronger as the deadline approached.
Despite passing the exam, Jisoo felt a nagging guilt about not studying harder.
Ilan could not shake off the nagging thought that he had hurt his friend's feelings.
- persistent
more neutral; can describe anything that continues, not just feelings
- lingering
emphasises something that stays after it should have gone; common for feelings and smells
- chronic
used mainly for pain or illness; implies a medical condition
文法句型
nagging + abstract noun (feeling, doubt, pain, guilt, thought)
用法筆記
Subject is usually an abstract noun such as feeling, doubt, pain, guilt, or worry. This sense is never used for physical objects in the outside world — only for internal experiences or bodily sensations.
常見錯誤
nagging — noun
1. the act of repeatedly complaining to someone about something they have not done
the act of repeatedly complaining to someone about something they have not done or have done wrong, in a way that annoys them
Jiwoo finally got tired of her mother's constant nagging about cleaning her room.
constant nagging: repeated complaining about a specific issue
Shirin told her husband that his nagging was making their relationship difficult.
The manager's nagging about every small mistake lowered the team's confidence.
Quan ignored the nagging from his colleagues and continued working at his own pace.
- complaining
more general; can be about any situation and may not involve repetition
- carping
more formal; emphasises petty, unreasonable criticism about small details
- praise
expressing approval rather than pointing out faults
- encouragement
giving support and confidence instead of criticism
文法句型
someone's nagging
nagging about something
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the patterns 'someone's nagging' or 'nagging about something'. Often follows verbs like ignore, tolerate, put up with, or be tired of. Carries a stronger sense of personal irritation than the more general word complaining.